本文转载自wordpress啦
带把“刀”写文章，这是什么概念呢？不太可能吧？实际上这是非常必要的。
好吧，确切地说没有叫你带上真刀，但是好作家写文章的时候却总会用它来使文章更加精简完美。 对于好的作家来说，写作包括两个独立却又紧密管理的组成部分：精心编制内容以及剔除非必要的信息。上一回我们介绍了写文章为什么需要精简。这里我将讲述如何精简文章。
为自己而写，为读者而改
真正好的作品是出自于自我心灵上表达的欲望。让你的大脑随心所欲，写出你真正想写的东西。此时，你仅是对自己想法的初次加工。 但是，一旦初稿的大轮廓出现之后，你得带上你的“刀” 砍去多余的部分。用你的“刀”给文章精心造型，直到要点清晰明确，不要舍不得割掉任何不相关或无意义的冗余信息。 当然，我承认作为一个作家要做到这一点并非易事，因为我们都是如此陶醉自己的文字中。因此，我在这里给大家介绍七个小帖士来精简你的文章。
1. 明确文章的中心内容，始终坚持这个中心
特别是像我们这种博客中的文章都是有其关注的焦点，应该只有一个中心，任何超过一个以上的观点 的文章都会显得非常无力。虽然，像诸如通过电子摄像机拍下远程同事的尴尬镜头这类的事情，听起来有点滑稽。但是如果你不能确保它跟你想要表达的中心百分百 相关，请不要使用这类素材。 跑题太严重了，你的读者看后也不会对发笑的。
2. 砍掉第一段
通常都是对小说家提这条建议的，人们都奉劝小说家稍作交待马上进入到完整的第一章节，进入正题。 原因何在呢？在真正进入到正题之前，我们通过还要写一段甚至两段的文章。而这么多的前言却只是为了后面的精华内容做准备而已。 请试着砍掉文章的前一段或前两段，看看效果如何。你可能会发觉这样开篇的效果更让人喜欢。
3. 不要过分雕饰你的文字
很多作者文章中的句子毫无限制地使用形容词、副词，过多的修饰成分，最后使得文章太过虚华。他们觉得这些词语能够使他们的作品增色、添加光彩，但 是，实际上这种五味俱全的东西最终麻木了读者的胃口，再也无心看下去了。 注意，写文章就像是烹饪一样，调味品应适可而止，过多的调味品不管如何精心准备的佳肴也会变得不好吃的。
4. 提防“蠕变的”单词
“蠕变的”单词，是指那些你无意识当中使用的一些不必要的单词。我最经常使用的两个单词是：“just” 和“actually” 。确实是这样的，当我重新读下这篇文章的第一稿时，我就删除了好几个。（ And yes, it’s actually true that when I read through my first draft of this post, I just went back in and removed several of each.） 呵呵，看看原作者又使用了这两个“蠕变”单词。
删除这些“蠕变”单词是给你的文章瘦身的一种痛苦方式，不过一旦完成瘦身后，我相信没有任何人会怀念这些多余的“脂肪”。 你自己又有什么“蠕变”单词呢？如果你还不清楚的话，你可以叫一个专业的编辑来看看你的文章，看看他们会找出哪些单词。
5. 砍掉夸张的部分
“生气的耳朵冒烟” 还有“让心跳停止的美丽?”
不，这并不真实。这很明显太夸张了吧，你的读者会看出来的。砍掉这些夸张的表达，用上更为精确的字。参考第六条。
6. 找更精确的字
有时候，我们使用了大量表达非常弱的词语，换些更恰当的词语或许效果会好很多。
如果你在对当地的食物发表点评的时候，你这样写到：“他们的玉米煎饼真的非常好”，你的词汇能再有深度一点吗？这些食物到底是怎样的呢？爽口？香甜？回味无穷？ 选择精准的词汇并不仅是让你的文章更短，它同时会使你的读者能够更深刻理解你想要的表达的意思。
7. 别浪费你的文字
有没有注意到好的厨师总是不会浪费任何东西。
好的作家也深喑此道。当他们编辑文字时，他们并不会永久放弃他们以前写过的文字，而是把它们放在一旁，或许对写作其他东西能有所启发。 在这里，我建议你还是赶紧专门建立一个文件用于存储你删除的文字。当你为文章灵感苦思冥想时，试着去里面逛逛，也许你的脑袋会蹦出火花来，给你写文章的灵 感。
你能做到！
我知道对你来说删除文字总是很困难的，我们总担心把一些有用的信息删除了。但是根据我的经验，这从来没有发生过。
相信我，好好写作，真的需要用的时候会有很多词汇可供你选择，但也请记住带上你的“刀”。
附原文：
How to Write With a Knife
Think it’s impossible to write with a knife?
Not at all. You might even say it’s essential.
Well, to be more precise, no one actually writes with a knife. But good writers do edit with one.
For them, writing involves two separate but closely intertwined mindsets: crafting their message and then cutting away everything that’s not their message.
Yesterday, Jon Morrow talked about why you need to tighten up your writing. Today we’re going to talk about how.
Write for yourself, edit for your readers
Really good writing always begins with the desire for self-expression. Let your mind and heart say what they want without restriction. You’re rough-hewing the shape of your thoughts.
But once the broad contours have emerged in your first draft, you take your knife and carve off all the extra bits. Sculpt your article until the important details are clear, not hidden by chunks of irrelevant or uninteresting verbiage.
It isn’t easy. As writers, we all have a tendency to fall in love with our words. So here are seven tips to help you cut to the chase.
1. Find the spine of your content and stick to it
A blog post is a focused piece of writing — it shouldn’t aim to address more than one tightly focused topic.
Yes, that story about your telecommuting co-worker and her embarrassing webcam moment is pretty darn funny. But if you can’t make it 100% relevant to the point you’re trying to make, don’t use it.
You can’t make your audience chuckle if they’ve clicked away.
2. Cut the first paragraph
This advice is often given to novelists, who are counseled to write a rough draft and then ditch their entire first chapter (ouch!).
The reason? We often need to crank out a paragraph or two before we truly get a grip on the piece and where it’s going. Those first words are really just preparation for the good stuff.
Try cutting the first paragraph or two from your post and see what happens. You may find a much more powerful opening.
3. Don’t over-spice your words
Many writers liberally pepper their sentences with adjectives and adverbs, and it ends up like over-spiced chili. They think this intensifies their writing, but really, it just numbs the reader’s palate.
(Side note: Take a look at the paragraph above this one. Did you catch where it was over-spiced? I didn’t need the word “liberally.” The verb “pepper” and the simile “like over-spiced chili” were more than enough to get the idea across.)
Remember that just like chili, a little seasoning will add yummy zing to your writing. Too much will make it unpalatable.
4. Watch out for “creep-in” words
These are the unnecessary words you use without even realizing it. Two of mine are “just” and “actually.” And yes, it’s actually true that when I read through my first draft of this post, I just went back in and removed several of each.
Getting rid of creep-ins is a painless way to cut the fat out of your copy, and no one will ever miss them.
What are your own personal creep-ins? If you don’t know, ask a professional editor to clean up one of your posts and pay attention to what they take out.
5. Cut exaggerations
Were you so angry that you “literally had smoke coming out of your ears?” Was the sunset “heart-stoppingly beautiful?”
No, not really. Your readers will see these phrases for what they truly are: lazy exaggerations. Cut them from your writing, and use more precise words (see #6) instead.
6. Find a more precise word
Sometimes, we use a lot of weak words when one or two of the right words will do much better.
If you’re publishing a review of your local taquería and you write that “their burritos are really very good,” reach a little deeper into your vocabulary. Are they authentic? Zesty? Flavorful?
Picking the right word won’t just make your writing shorter. It’ll give your readers deeper insight into what you mean.
7. Reuse the leftovers
Ever notice how the best cooks don’t seem to waste anything?
Professional writers work the same way. When they edit, they don’t delete their writing forever. They put it aside and often use it as inspiration for something else.
I’d recommend starting a “Leftovers” document where you paste in your cuts. Whenever you’re searching for an idea, you can poke through it, and something will probably grab you. Use it to start a new post.
You can do it!
I know it’s hard to cut words. We’re all afraid of running out of something to say. But in my experience, that never happens.
Trust me when I say that there will always be more words where those came from, and you will find them when you need them. Just remember to carry your knife with you.
You’ll need it.